Me and My Gang
by i tinwe
Summary: PaulxOc... Phoebe is a normal girl who has lived in La Push all her life. What happens when suddenly her friends abandon her for the rez's superstar, Sam, and this really tall guy starts staring at her? - On hiatus -
1. Chapter 1

**Me and my gang**

**Chapter 1**

I twirled my long, brown hair between my fingers and looked up at the clock that hung on the green wall, over the television. My stomach growled for the umpteenth time that hour, and my gaze flickered back over to where my mum was cooking dinner. I could never figure how she could spend so much time making and preparing food, and then hardly touch a morsel. I took after my father in more than one way, but the most prominent was the ability to eat as much as possible, and never have it show. Mum turned and caught me staring at the heavenly food with a ravenous look. I diverted my gaze as fast as I could, but I didn't miss the small smirk and the amusement that was clear as crystal in her brown eyes.

Grouching slightly, I heaved my body into the sofa next to my dad. He grunted in response, his eyes glued to the television watching the news. We sat in silence for a while until both our stomachs started to growl like crazy, almost as if they were part of a symphony. My dad and I had no cooking skills what so ever, but unlike me, he could put a pizza in the oven and not burn it to charcoal. I winced at the memory, and at the loss of such a wonderful pizza. My stomach growled even louder. I jumped out of the sofa and nearly threw myself at the yellow bowl of fruit. In a desperate attempt to please my annoying tummy I ate half a banana in one go. I almost gagged, but my hunger helped me keep it down. Mum gave me such a reproachful look I nearly fell of the chair, but she chose not to comment. Maybe that was because I was always grumpy when starved, and she had deliberately spent as much time as possible making dinner. I munched down the rest of the banana with a gleeful smile.

The following morning was Sunday which meant I had to get up way early to do my chores, and maybe some gardening. I hated that stuff but it came with a nice bonus on top of my monthly allowance, and for that I wasn't complaining. After all, a seventeen year girl like me can only go for so long without money for shopping and fun. Stretching my arms over my head I slid out of the soft bed, slouching over to my makeshift vanity. I pulled my messy, brown hair into a high ponytail; smiled at myself in the mirror, -I loved my brown eyes. My mother's eyes people told me- and put on a set of comfortable clothes before taking two steps at a time with a clear breakfast mission in mind. I sat down at the table in the kitchen area, grabbing four blueberry pancakes from the countertop on the way. My mum's blueberry pancakes were pure, fantastic awesomeness, and everybody in La Push new it. She sometimes made them at birthday parties for the younger kids on the rez, who gobbled them up willingly and greedily.

I ate as fast as I could, and chased the pancakes down with a decent glass of cold milk. In other words: a perfect breakfast. I heard my father emit a squeaky chuckle from behind the papers. ''What is so hilarious this time dad?'' I tried to make my voice stern, like my mum's, but failed miserably. This made dad choke on his morning coffee, spitting out some on the table. It was a tragic sight. I made a disgusted sound, and pushed my chair backwards. ''Ok, that was gross! I am so out of here.'' Before I got as far as the backdoor, a hand tugged my arm. ''Phoebe May Connor! Not so far missy, you have chores to do hun.'' As if I could forget. I had been without money the last five weeks, because I had broken the remote controller. I still thought it unfair. How could I know it was under the comfiest pillow in the house? I needed to make some serious cash fast. I smiled my so called ''angel smile'' trying to get across the message that, yes, I knew what I had to do, and you don't have to nag my ears off. However, my loveable father with coffee stains down his shirt continued. ''And I've called over Sam Uley, because we need to do some wood chopping before winter. He'll be here any minute.'' At that I snorted in the most unladylike fashion known to mankind. We were in the middle of April, and my father was already ranting on about firewood. At least I had finally figured out where I got my weirdo genes from. I wasn't looking forward to wielding an axe, because knowing me as I do, I would probably be the one getting hacked, and not the tree. Bad luck seems to run on my dad's side of the family. The only cool thing was seeing Sam. He and his fiancée, Emily, were both extremely nice, though Sam's build didn't look it. He was seriously big and tall. When I was younger I had loved climbing on him. I turned away from my dad who was blinking stupidly at me from behind his glasses, and put on my black converse that were one thread away from falling apart. The only thing holding them together was the twenty or so safety pins in them. They looked ridiculous, but I loved them all the same. Shrugging on my favourite purple jacket, I strode outside to wait for the helping hand to show up.

It was cold outside even for April. I closed my jacket, and swayed a little trying to stay warm. I still had enough time to run inside and put on a pair of gloves, but I tried instead to ignore the biting chill. I walked over to the ancient swing that creaked like crazy, and swung back and forth a few times until I saw Sam walk down the small slope to the house, followed by someone I didn't recognize. My dad came out of the house, shook hands, and exchanged small pleasantries. Even though they were several feet away from me, I could sense his discomfort from being around Sam. For some weird reason my father didn't like people being taller than him. It made him feel uncomfortable he'd told me. It did make sense though, because my father wasn't short unlike me, who had inherited my grandmother's rather petite stature. Sam looked around and caught my eye. A small smile became visible on his usually serious yet mysteriously calm face. I walked over as fast as I could without stumbling or slipping, and was swept up into a gigantic hug that forced the air out of my lungs. When he put me down I had trouble breathing. He rested his hand on my shoulder, which in Sam language meant he was sorry. "This is Jared. He's been working with me for the last couple of months. If you promise not to bite, I might let you say hello." He chuckled, and pointed to the tall man behind me, who answered by grinning full force. I hissed and snapped my teeth, noting how much he looked like Sam. I could have easily mistaken him for his brother if I hadn't known better. Both were scary tall, big and buff, with russet coloured skin and short, ink-black hair. Sam looked at me when he spoke next, but it was meant for my father. "We had one more pair of hands, but he called in sick. When do we start?" He sounded almost a bit apologetic. I couldn't see why though, because it looked like he and Jared could easily hack down the entire forest in a minute or so. Dad nodded politely, still a bit touchy the poor thing, and motioned towards the deadly weapons of mass destruction.

The axe felt heavy in my hand. From my right I could feel Sam stare disapprovingly first at me, and then even more so at my father. He obviously shared my sceptical point of view, or maybe I'd just inherited his from the years I'd spent known him. Dad and Jared however, were busy going at it. Jared wasn't even breaking a sweat, but dad's breath was coming in short bursts. He seriously needed to use the upstairs gym more. I closed my eyes, breathing in and out a few times. I gave myself a good 10 seconds until I opened them again, staring down my opponent. It wasn't that the tree looked menacing or anything, –not yet at least- it was just the fact that I wasn't too comfortable around axes. With an audible gulp I swung feebly. The axe grazed the tree ever so slightly. Feeling braver, I swung the axe a bit harder. This time it embedded itself a good 2cm. It made me happy in a twisted way. I pulled it out, and made to swing it forward, but the stupid handle was wet with melted frost so it slipped out of my frozen hands. There came a sick noise, like something squelching and snapping at the same time. I didn't notice the pain until both Sam and Jared yelled out. Dad's head snapped up, and his facial expression turned from peeved into terrified in a split second, his colour changing from red to chalk white. However I couldn't care less what he was thinking, because all _I_ could think about was the excruciating pain that flamed up my leg. It seared, throbbed and God knows what else it did. I doubled over grimacing, tears streaking down my face like two, small waterfalls. The pain was unbearable! I had never wanted to pass out cold, but now I was almost begging. I was going to kill whoever said that third time is a charm.


	2. Chapter 2

Everyone was moving so fast they became a messy blur. Or maybe they blurred because I was crying enough to give a third world country water to last. I felt foolish, but my leg hurt so much that all I wanted to do was to scream and pull my hair, but two warm, strong hands held mine in place, and I was too nauseated to open my mouth. I tried to dry my eyes after a few minutes, but my arms were still wrapped in the searing grip encased mine like iron. That bugged me. Blinking rapidly I managed to fight back the waterworks that threatened to spill over again and again. In the background I heard Jared on the phone. At least I thought it was him. Suddenly someone or something touched my leg and I bit back a scream refusing to appear weak, growling instead. The iron grip loosened a little, before it tightened again. Sam was somewhere nearby whispering words of comfort, but I blocked it out together with the pain. It was easier that way. My nose was runny, and treacherous, fresh tears rolled down my face, soaking my best friend's, Sara's, blue striped jumper. She was going to have my head and maybe my new Rascal Flatts CD. Someone –maybe Doc- nudged my leg again, though this time more tentatively. The pain flared up again, making me see dancing spots of colour, but I noticed it was subsiding slightly. I suspected foul play, namely drugs. My suspicion was confirmed when I all of a sudden felt really tired; like I'd been without sleep for days whilst running a marathon. The throbbing in my leg that earlier felt like a thousand living drums having a fiesta, had now faded into a dull ache. I leaned backwards into a very hot, hard pillow. I was surprised to say the least. The feeling of being closely examined, like a germ under a microscope, suddenly hit me. Before I managed to open my eyes to complain the drugs took the final leap, pulling me into a deep slumber.

When I woke again the first thing I noticed was that I couldn't feel my leg. I sighed quietly, content. The second thing was that I was still leaning against a warm, hard something. I turned my head a tiny bit, trying not to draw any attention myself. That plan backfired the moment I saw what I had believed was an unusual pillow. It was Sam. And he was looking at me with true concern in his eyes. Did i really look that bad? Was the wound really that bad? A sudden cold fear swept through my body, paralyzing it. Did I have to amputate? I wanted so bad to see for myself but Sam's iron grip was back again.

"Phoebe! Phoebe? Are you ok?" He sounded tired. Had he been here all night? How long had I been out? What had happened? Did we have firewood? I felt extremely disorientated. With an annoyingly groggy voice I tried to placate him so maybe I could get my questions answered.

"I'm fine, Sam. Nothing is wrong..." He looked at me like I'd grown an extra head. "Besides my leg I'm fit as a fiddle. What time is it? How's my leg?" I stifled an enormous yawn and the need of a good stretch. I tried to sit up and this time he let me out of his vice grip. I rubbed my wrists and mock glared at him. Sam did not smile. The concern was still there in his eyes. I sighed, and ran my fingers through my hair.

"Sam, I'm fine. I really can't feel anything at all." I gestured to my leg. My voice sounded sincere and I blinked when I figured I was. Sam looked at me for a little while longer before he too sighed. He knew I wasn't lying but that still didn't keep him from concluding that I shouldn't be overly careful. Sam in a nutshell, I thought.

Half an hour later I was in the kitchen eating breakfast, my left foot propped awkwardly up on the extra chair. Sam had left fifteen minutes ago, about five minutes after my parents found me awake, and much to their happiness in no obvious pain. Somehow they had still managed to make a lot of fuss, almost as if I'd been 5 years again and scraped my knee. Stroking of hair, praise on how brave I was, concern about my leg, and so on and so forth. I put on my biggest most reassuring smile, eating my pancakes in blissful silence. They were wonderful as always. Things quieted for a while which was nice. I'd never liked being in the centre of attention. It gave me the heebie-jeebies. So did the thought that I had used all my bad luck, and hacked my leg nearly in to the bone. I had to be the clumsiest, most prone to life-threatening idiocy, insane human in the world – apart from my father who gave me the unlucky genes-. Fortunately someone up there liked me because my leg was going to heal up nice. I swallowed my sixth pancake when someone knocked on the door.

I already knew who was behind the door long before mum opened it. It was my four best friends; Sara, Jacob, Embry, and Quil. We'd met each when were crawling around in diapers, and had hung out together just about every day since. They stormed in through the door, Quil with a football in his hands, throwing loud "hellos" at my parents who were shaking their heads, smiling. Sara stopped dead in her tracks when she saw my awkward position. She always knew when something was wrong, and my guess was that she'd been tossing and turning all night. I eyed the dark circles under her eyes warily and she stared at me with disbelief. The boys however were in a cheerful mood and didn't catch on as fast. They each grabbed a pancake, and plonked themselves down on any available surface they could find. The kitchen was a mess as usual, always buried in stacks of books, piles of homework assignments or mail and dirty crockery. Embry pushed a rather big cluster of old bills to the floor before sitting on the only available chair of the three in the kitchen. He sat there munching happily scrutinizing my tired face when he too noticed.

"What the hell happened to you?" He stared at my leg with horror in his eyes. "Did someone come at you with an axe? How did this happen? When did this happen? Oh my God, this is crazy! Are you hurt? Where's the Doc? I'm going to kill whoever did this to you! Are you-" He was cut off short with a hard smack to the back of his head by Sara, who smiled despite the situation. I looked up at her and smiled too before I turned to answer Embry's multitude of questions. "I'm fine and dandy, just peachy. I can't feel a thing. And actually you're not that far from the truth. It was an axe but it was me and my fault alone."

I turned around sharply when I heard a muted thud that was followed my many smaller ones. Sleep deprivation made me jumpy. Embry and Jake reminded me of that at regular intervals. Quil had dropped the football and both he and Jake looked at me in shock. Jake's voice was relatively calm, I'd give him that much, but he couldn't hide the twisted grimace forming on his face.

"You managed to hit yourself in the leg with an axe?" Incredulity dripped of every word. From an outsider's point of view, I mused; it could be seen as something very unbelievable. Fortunately for me though, Jake was no outsider. I smiled meekly and nodded.

"Yeah, dad called over Sam and a friend of his, Jared, and they were going to help chop some firewood. I needed money and thought I could get away with maybe sorting big chunks from the small, but dad had his own ideas. He put an axe in my cursed hands and the rest is history." The room was silent but I could feel the tension disappear. Quil suddenly burst into laughter.

"You actually... managed to chop your... leg?" The other three smiled broadly knowing I wasn't on my deathbed. I huffed. "Glad I amuse you, git" He sobered up quickly. "You promise you're not in pain?" He backed away with an amused grin at my failed attempt at a death glare. "I'm p-e-r-f-e-c-t. Do I have to spell it out for you?"

"Ehm..." Jake chuckled. "You just did." I gave him a failed death glare too.

The gang stayed for dinner, and talked loudly all evening about the football game they had played in the backyard. Jake and Sara had floored poor Em and Quil. Quite literally too, Quil was still rubbing his sore knee. The boys, being the gentleman they were, had carried me out so I could sit and watch, and referee. None of us ever played a fair game against each other. It was part of the fun rolling around in the grass laughing, whilst calling each other the silliest names we could think of. All in all it had been a wonderful evening, I thought as said goodbye to the boys. Sara was going to spend the night and I was overly happy. No more parental stress. I was carried to my bed and to stay in it until tomorrow so there was no usual pillow fight, but instead we thought of different ways to make a spoof of the incident and post in on YouTube


	3. Chapter 3

The next two weeks went by slowly. There wasn't much to do when there was no schoolwork to keep me preoccupied. The teachers took what they thought was pity on me and had decided to not give me homework. I almost wished they hadn't, because by the end of my second week on the couch, and the multiple visits to the hospital, I was bored out of my mind. The mind numbing questions that the doctors repeated again and again, despite my sincere answers, definitely didn't help. I had done crosswords, Sudoku, puzzles and won the tons of videogames I'd borrowed from my next door neighbour and good friend, Seth Clearwater.

Seth was a sweet boy, a year younger than me and Sara, and I had my suspicions that she fancied him a bit. Maybe she even fancied him more than a bit, I hoped; they would make a nice couple.

I got so caught up in my daydream of mini Saras, and the chaos that they would bring to the world, that I didn't notice that the real Sara was standing in front of me waving her arms like the half-crazed idiot she was. I snapped out of it when she slapped the back of my head, her first choice of her vast range of violent abilities.

"Geez, snap out of it already! What can be so nice that you completely ignore your lifelong best friend, who loves you regardless of how your hair looks?" I chose to ignore that question; my answer would only make her hit me again. I rubbed my head. "What did I do to have the honour of seeing you here, my lady?" Sara raised an eyebrow. "This being alone all day is getting to you. How long before you start to hobble around town, beating people with your cane and screaming things like 'lawk a mussy' to them?" I shook my head and grinned. What on earth was school teaching them these days? I wanted in. "And you're saying I'm insane? Where did this 'lawk a mussy' come from, punk?" Sara winked at me and darted around the corner into the kitchen, only to return with a bag of crisps. "Sure, help yourself." I mumbled. "I'm way ahead of you hun." She whispered dramatically. Sticking my tongue out at her I reached for the crisps, and turned on the television. Static danced across the screen. "Dammit!" Sara yelled. "I wanted to watch The Simpsons rerun." I couldn't help myself and laughed out loud, dropping the crisps to the floor. That earned me my second hard hit to the head that day.

Sara and I had just finished picking up the stray crisps when suddenly Jake and Quil barged in, looking ready to do some damage. I had never seen any of them look so scared and livid at the same time. Sara was the first to recover from the shock. "Chill guys. What the heck is wrong with you? Wait, don't tell me." She held up a hand and pretended to concentrate. "Jake's car exploded?" She waggled her eyebrows suggestively. For some unknown reason she had taken a disliking to Jake's car, the Rabbit. However, her guess was far from its mark.

"It's Embry." Jake growled through clenched teeth. I looked first at Jake then at Quil. It wasn't until I saw the terrified look that hid deep in his eyes that I started to freak out. "What's happened?" I yelled, attempting to stand up. Jake stopped me and looked me dead in the eye. "Sam. Sam is what's happened. Embry has joined Sam's little gang of so called 'protectors.'" He said the word as if it were a bad thing. His words swirled around my mind but made absolutely no sense. What was bad about that? Why were he and Quil throwing such a hissy fit about it? Sam was a good guy, I should know. I'd known him all my life; he was like a brother to me. Jake straightened up, his eyes closed. When he opened them he looked sad and several years older. "You know what this means," he choked out. Quil put a reassuring hand on Jake's shoulder. Whatever Jake planned on saying next was tearing him apart inside. His eyes glistened with unshed tears. His next words came out in no more than a whisper, but everyone heard them as if they'd been screamed into our ears. "It means that Embry is no longer our friend."

Everything was quiet save for my heart. It raced fast and beat hard enough that everyone in the room would be able to hear it. My breathing came in short busts. I looked up at Sara and she met my anxious gaze. Her eyes were an odd combination of grief and disbelief. They were the exact mirror of mine. I stood up, my fury helping in blocking any unnecessary pain. How dare Jake say anything like that, and about Embry of all people? The shock made me unsteady but my intent was clear when I swung my fist at Jake's face. My uncertainty made it an easy thing for him to duck, and he steered me back to the sofa. "What the hell do you mean 'Embry is no longer our friend?'" I croaked. "Of course he's our friend. He always will be!" I tried my best not to believe, but Quil and Jake's reaction had given the already sown seed of doubt nourishment to grow and fester itself. It explained a lot of things; Sam's pointed stares and Embry's weird behaviour. According to Sara, Embry had grown distant, and according to Quil, Embry had skipped school the entire week. He and Sara had spotted him down at First Beach on their way home. When they had tried to go over to him he had just turned and walked away. Quil swore he had seen Sam and his 'disciples', as the boys had taken to calling them, standing at the edge of the forest.

Jake shook me, snapping me out my sombre thoughts. "Listen, Phoebe. It all makes sense; it fits the pattern. The exact same thing happened with Paul and Jared." From the corner of my eye I could see Sara sit down on the floor. Her face was utterly blank. Jake continued. "One day they were perfectly normal than they skipped a week or two at school, and the next they were following Sam like lost puppies." I frowned. Sam didn't do things like that; stealing friends from people. He was nice. My rational side fought with my never-believe-anything-bad-about-people side. The proof was stacked tall. Everything Jake said was true, but it couldn't rule out that Embry had been our best friend since the beginning.

After the initial shock had died down and the faint throbbing had settled, I looked up but avoided everyone's curious glances. I always was the sensitive one. I cleared my throat. "Let's go find some protectors and get some answers."

We spent the rest of the weekend looking for Embry but to no avail. It was as if he had disappeared from the face of earth. Was he avoiding us? Embry's mum was beside herself with worry but none of the elders seemed to really bother. No one seemed to worry apart from us. After spending 5 hours of scrambling around the forest, and finding nothing but the nature that surrounded us, my painkiller's affect was waning so we went back to Jake's place. His dad, Billy, found us all on lying on the floor asleep and awoke us to a big surprise. With him were the exact people we had been looking for. Jake and Quil were at their feet in an instant. I used my own sweet time because my leg was being mean.

Billy was in the front flanked by Embry and Sam on his right and to the left by Jared, and someone who I assumed was Paul. I looked Embry straight in the eye and to my relief he didn't look away. I gaped. In the two weeks I'd been gone he had grown up seven years. He had grown even taller and his muscles were clearly visible without a shirt on. What freaked me out the most was how much he looked like Sam. The same hairstyle, choice of scarce clothing and in the way he carried himself. The only thing that resembled the boy I knew was his facial features, but they too had altered. He looked so different I wanted to cry. What was happening?

I felt everybody's eyes on me. I was swaying unsteadily. Without thinking Embry lunged forward to steady me, but Quil and Jake were already at my sides, helping me sit down on the floor. I looked up at Embry again and saw he was visibly shaking. His entire frame was rocking and jerking. Sam shared a pointed look with Billy before he guided Embry out of the house. My last glance of Embry was a pair of big brown eyes filled with unfathomable sadness.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I'm tweaking a bit on the order when the guys "go bad" so no fussing ;)**

Both Jake and Quil were staring angrily at Sam's back, and Sara looked disapprovingly at Billy. He was obviously in on the goings on. I met the gaze of Paul, and my heart took a summersault or five. My heart stopped for a second before it started to beat erratically. His eyes burned with such focused intensity I had to look away. When I looked up again he was on his way out of the house too.

Sara and I went home after listening to Jake and Billy's heated conversation. Jake had asked what was going on and Billy had fed him weak nothings. Sam was evidently 'good' for Embry. What were we then, dangerous? If there was anyone on the reservation who was dangerous, it was that lot. Sara and I were both in low spirits. "It really sucks that it has to be like this. Good against bad or whatever," I clenched my teeth in frustration. "Why can't we all be friends? What's so bloody difficult?" Sara gave me a wistful smile and a good hug before we parted ways. When I came home I went straight to my room, flung myself on the bed and the last thing I heard before I fell asleep was a very loud howl.

The next couple of weeks went by fast. Sara, Quil and me usually went for a movie, or visited each other and did all sorts of stuff. We even played hide and seek. Jake wasn't around much, he was mostly hanging out with Cullen friendly and Chief Police's daughter, Bella Swan. They came over from time to time and my stomach twisted every time. She looked so pale and thin it was a miracle Jake managed to make her talk or even smile. But knowing him he could do pretty much anything if he set his mind to it. Everything besides hide and seek; we could find him blindfolded. He was still growing like crazy. Much like Embry had before he suddenly ditched the gang for Sam and his scary cult. My perception of Sam had changed drastically since I last saw him, three months ago when I'd axed my foot. Back then I'd loved him like an uncle or a very big brother, but now, every time I saw or heard about him, all I could think about was Embry... and Paul...

For some inexplicable reason I couldn't get Paul out of my head. It was exasperating as hell since I often went into complete lala land, and because he was the supposed "enemy". Jake and Embry were really into the name calling and my turf-your turf stuff and would probably flip out if they found out that I was crushing on one of the "bad guys." It was very true in Paul's case though, gang or no gang, he was known for his short temper and numerous fights. If it hadn't been our friend who'd been snatched from us, I would have found the whole situation borderline hilarious and exceptionally dim-witted. But as it were, it was our friend who'd been snatched from us and I didn't find the situation even remotely funny; just sad.

The next morning I crept out of bed at around 12 pm; I wasn't in the mood to do anything in particular. Out of sheer boredom I started to tidy my room which had defiantly seen better days. It looked as if someone had dropped a bomb or four and then had let a few hurricanes pass through. It was such a big mess I could hardly see the floor. I laughed out loud when I found my favourite teddy hiding behind my dresser, and even louder when I found my battered copy of Lord of The Rings. If Seth could hear me from his living room next door, I bet he thought I was gone raving mad. My laughter certainly sounded evil enough, and had just the right amount of hysteria to qualify.

After I finished cleaning I went outside to breath in the fresh summer air. It was now mid July but the weather could have fooled me. It was a bit chilly and the sun hid behind the grey clouds. Not very mood lifting, but it could have been worse. I was about to walk inside when I saw Quil running towards me.

I froze in horror, remembering the last time Quil, and Jake, came running. It could be anything besides something to do with Sam, I thought sternly, but my mind had already spun alarming drama after alarming drama. Quil ran as fast as he could but to me it wasn't fast enough; it was like looking at very cheesy slow motion in some crappy soap opera. I tried to calm my breathing but my attempts were futile; I was such a worrier, making –maybe- nothing into something. By the time he reached me I was freaking out.

His broad smile seemed oddly out of place when it spread out on his face. "You look like you're having or are about to have a heart attack. What happened, did the big bad wolf come to visit?" He laughed and made woofing noises, trying to be a funny. He sure knew how to be annoying. His dog imitation was pathetic; I'd bet that every dog in a ten miles radius would drop dead from humiliation. "Naw, I'm just messing with you hun. Are you up for a barbeque down at the beach today? The weather is supposedly going to clear up later." His smiled grew. I nodded vigorously in response, not trusting myself to speak. My heart was still going at a hundred miles per hour, and a barbeque could be exactly what I'd need. Quil smile grew even more. I found myself wondering if it actually was possible to smile from ear to ear, because Quil was pretty darn close. One more happy comment and he'd make it. Unfortunately I never got to test the saying, because Seth's mum, Sue Clearwater, chose to show up.

"Have you two seen Seth? I haven't seen him in at least a week, and Leah isn't saying anything though I have a feeling she knows something." She sighed and mumbled something that sounded like "bloody teenagers." I questioned Sue's observation. Sure Leah was fond of her little brother but she'd never lie to her mum, this I was positive about. I'd gotten to know Leah very well when she'd been sulking about Sam breaking up with her, because Sam fell in love with Emily, Seth and Leah's cousin. Sue looked at us."Do you know anything, at all?" We both shook our heads. From the corner of my eye I saw that Quil shot me a look; and not just any look, it was that look. I arched an eyebrow. Seth with Sam was pretty unthinkable. I had no idea how Quil managed to come up with that. Those guys were well over 6 feet and made every male in Washington very self-conscious. Seth was tall, but not that tall though, and somewhat lanky. He didn't make the cut unless the guys actually were on something, cheating themselves to the rocking bodies they sported. Besides, he was the happiest most optimistic person I'd ever met. Granted I hadn't met a lot of people, besides the one in town, but I knew he was unique in that way. Sam's group all looked grouchy. There was no other way to describe it. It was like they'd gotten a Christmas present from someone they couldn't upset, but really didn't like the present.

Sue excused herself and left, probably to call Police Chief Swan. The moment she was out of earshot I hissed at Quil. "When did you go insane? Seth with Sam is not likely; ever." Quil gave me a weird look. "Well, I would have said the same for Embry a few weeks back, but now..." He trailed off. He was still miserable about Embry and scared silly that Sam would try to get him as well. Whilst he was in his moody moment I started to wonder where Sara was. I hadn't seen her in the last couple of days. She complained that she was lagging behind on the homework. Truth be told, all three of us were way behind. "Quil? Where's Sara?" He looked up confused; still moping. "I don't know. I saw her a few days back with Seth..." He trailed off again looking worried. I on the other hand started to laugh. "What's the matter Quil? You know they've been pining after each other for a long time now. Or didn't you pay attention? I guess you were too preoccupied with how many times you could beat Jake at dismembering bike parts." Quil shook his head and laughed too. "Yeah, I guess so. It was pretty hilarious; you should have seen his face. Damn, he nearly kicked my ass the fourth time I beat him."


	5. Chapter 5

I had ten minutes to get ready before Quil and Jake came round. Unfortunately I was still running around in my room in my underwear. I'd spent a bit more time in the shower then I'd planned to, and was suffering from "instant karma." I put on a pair of old, faded jeans and a green tunica that was loose-fitting and very comfortable. I grabbed my hair and shoved it into a messy bun, whilst brutally shoving my feet into my ruined converse. Dad stood in the doorway and looked at me, amusement twinkling in his eyes. "Where's the fire?" I looked up and stuck out my tongue, tripping over my shoelaces in the process. Dad shook his head and walked back to television set. He was addicted to it. I wondered what would happen if suddenly were to go missing. Suppressing an evil laughter I turned to open the door, but found it open already. Jake and Quil were standing outside.

"Are you coming?" Quil asked. I shrugged into the first jacket I found, and strode out the door. It wasn't far to the beach so we walked. A few minutes later and we could see the small bonfire. Jake and Quil grinned like idiots. Food had obviously taken front seat in their mind. We reached the bonfire and I noticed that Sam and company were here. The first big giveaway was the five massive bodies lounging around on the beach. I started in shock at the fifth. It was Seth. He'd grown enormous! And to top it off, Sara was sitting in his lap as if they'd been doing it all their lives. The way Seth looked at her; it was as if she were the only thing in the universe that could make him happy. It was the same look Sam and Emily shared. I also noted that Seth looked like the rest of his gang, except that he was smiling.

Quil and Jake stopped talking. I guess they saw what I saw. Whilst they studied Seth and eyed Sara with suspicion, I snuck a look at the other "big people." I saw Embry and Sam with their backs to us discussing something. I saw Jared; he was shoving hotdogs in his mouth. And then I saw Paul; again. But this time it was as if everything faded out before it came back stronger; both noise and smell. I looked into his deep, brown eyes from across the campfire, and I felt a sudden urge to run my fingers through his short hair. The lovey-dovey feeling and the possessive look in his eye scared me. But the emotion of complete pain that hid in the depth of his eyes scared me more. And I didn't even know why. All I knew was that I wanted to give him a big hug.

Jake snapped me out of my thoughts by dragging me over to Quil. Quil had secured us a few blankets and were already laying them on the ground, oblivious to my zoning out. I sat down, not trusting my legs to hold me, and asked if Jake could pass me a burger. He passed me one after he grabbed three for himself. He ate like a pig, and as much as a cow. I wondered how Billy managed to feed him, or if he were feeding him at all. Maybe that was the reason behind the empty cupboards at home.

I jumped a little when Quil whispered in my ear. "That Paul guy is staring at you. I'm telling you, it's freaky." My heart accelerated. Paul was staring at me. I ducked my head and blushed. I felt like a stupid girly-girl. I mean, why should I care? Why should I care that I felt giddy every time someone mentioned his name, or that my heart sped up at the sight of him? It didn't mean anything, did it? To stop myself from going bonkers, I shifted my gaze to Embry who was looking over at us. He half smiled before he stared at the mat he was sitting on, twirling the loose threads. It annoyed me that he wouldn't look me completely in the eye, so I decided on looking at him until he had to. I waited. And I waited some more, but he still kept messing with the now ripped threads. I huffed and gave up. I'd try again later.

Midnight drew closer and it became noticeably colder. Jake, Quil and I grabbed an extra blanket and huddled close together, but it didn't help much. I wasn't sure how many other noticed or not, but I did; Sam and company weren't wearing shirts. They seemed unfazed and so did Sara and Emily.

The moon was out, giving the beach an unearthly glow and made the sea look stunning. Both the sound and motion of the waves had me mesmerized, even though I'd seen it plenty of times before. I couldn't put my finger on it, but there was something weird going on. I told Jake and Quil I was going for a walk, and got up. I ruffled Quil's hair before I aimed for the shoreline. I breathed in the salty smell of the sea and relaxed. I'd lived in La Push all my life, and couldn't think of any place I loved more. Walking slowly, I mulled over the things that had happened lately and came to the conclusion that something was to about to happen. I didn't know if it was a good thing or bad, but I had a feeling it was going to affect a good deal of people.

I kicked a stone and stumbled as my mind started to wander... over to Paul. I sat down on a large piece of driftwood, completely ignorant of my surroundings. I fell prey to lala land; again. My imagination showed me Paul and myself walking hand in hand through a field of flowers. His smile was beautiful and he smelled lovely. Like a fresh pine forest in the summer. I inhaled as much of him as I possibly could and hugged him with all my might. The scent was so strong and so realistic I thought, for a brief second, that if I opened my eyes that he would be standing in front of me. When the smell didn't go away together with the picture I became curious. I opened my left eye and nearly screamed. In front of me, halfway hidden in the shadows, was Paul. The breeze lifted my hair ever so slightly, bringing his scent with it. It was the same pine forest smell. I blinked, thinking it would vanish in a second; that my mind was still playing tricks on me. I blinked again, but still his strong gaze made my skin tingle and his scent made me feel high. Nothing happened so I pinched my arm. I saw his eyes dance with amusement and ecstatic happiness; as if I had given him the funniest present in the world. I hadn't even talked to him yet.

I cleared my throat. "Aren't you cold?" I asked. I shrugged deeper into my jacket. "No, not really," he answered. His vague answer made me even more curious. After a while he asked if he could sit down. I said he could, and I moved to the end of the log. It was then I noticed, even though there was nearly a meter that divided us, the warmth that radiated from him. At first I thought it was because I was cold, but my thick jacket ruined that theory. Unconsciously I moved closer to him; his warmth drawing me to him like moths to a light. I thought I heard him chuckle, but the sound was so low it could be anything. I twiddled my thumbs suddenly nervous, all the questions I wanted to ask suddenly pushed forward in my mind and hanging off my tongue. I bit my tongue to keep from blurting out the most embarrassing ones; concentrating on the ones that had some importance. "How's Embry?" I asked silently, slightly scared he would give me one of his famous death glares; I was pretty sure I wouldn't last a second. I thought I heard him sigh sadly but, again, the sounds coming from him were too low for me to register. I made a mental note to myself to get my ears checked.


	6. Chapter 6

I waited anxiously for his answer but Paul seemed to love drawing out the tension. It was either that or he felt uncomfortable about the question. Well, if that was the case then to bad for him. After a while he opened his mouth to speak. "He's doing ok. He's a good kid, and so are you. I still can't see why he decided on leaving you all." My heart lurched. It had been Embry's call, and not Sam's. And to top it off Paul had called me and my gang kids. True I was rather tiny compared to him, but that didn't make me any younger. Unless, of course you went all Jake-y and started converting traits and size into years. In his eyes size was everything.

Paul was only four years older than me so I couldn't see why he was calling us kids. I also couldn't understand why I felt upset at that; like I wanted for him to recognize me as a grown up woman. I shook my head, dispelling all lala-land related thoughts. I wouldn't ever live it down if he saw me zoning out. "What do you mean by ok?" I asked. "He's not in any trouble, right? You guys are being kind to him? Are you sure-" Paul cut me off by looking at me like I'd grown an extra arm or three. I ducked my head and blushed. I couldn't help it that I cared so much for Embry; I'd grown up alongside him.

A cold gust of wind hit me out of the blue and I cringed, leaning even closer to Paul. He was so warm, my left side felt like it was burning -comfortably- compared to the right. If all the big guys were like this, then I could understand how Emily and Sara weren't freezing. However I was still a bit sceptic to the no shirt concept. It wasn't until I was all but sitting on top of him that I noticed how close I was. I blushed for what seemed the millionth time that day and straightened myself up, cold wind slapping me in the face. I rarely ever blushed. It only happened when my parents decided it was time to bring out the baby pictures.

I got up and started towards the bonfire, back to the warm covers. Paul walked silently by my side, again halfway hidden in the shadows. My hand craved his. Through the corners of my eyes I studied him. What I could see at least. His arm caught my attention; not only was it massive with muscle, but it also had a tattoo. It looked like two dogs or wolves surrounded by tribal patterns. I thought mischievously of the white rose on my shoulder. Only Sara knew about it, but even that was accidental; she'd seen it when we went swimming. "Nice tattoo." I blurted out. I bit the inside of my cheek to stop me from saying more. My tongue was as careless and restless as my mind, and it was really beginning to freak me out. I was used to it being Quil spewing out random stuff. "Thanks, I guess." He said. He didn't sound to enthusiastic, but the corner of his lips twitched and gave him away. Back at the bonfire there was more room then when I had left. It was getting really late, but I decided to stay a little longer. Quil and Jake were still nibbling on food and laughing at the jokes being passed around. The rest of the hour I'd decided to spend there was used on sneaking looks at Paul. I couldn't have stopped myself even if I'd tried.

The next morning I found myself with a headache. The annoying ones I got from sleep deprivation, and I was suddenly very happy it was a Sunday. No bloody school to make things worse, only a date with a book and i-Pod. I threw myself on the worn sofa in front of the television, and put on my favourite song whilst reading The Named; again... I was deep into my reading bubble and felt at peace, like I usually did when reading, but something burst it. An obnoxious bleeping, that came from the pocket on the jacket I'd worn yesterday, tore me out my book. It was my cell phone bleeping a message income. I almost chucked the phone in the wall but curiosity stopped me. The message was from Quil and it consisted only of a name, but panic welled up in me.

Jake.

Curiosity killed the cat and satisfactory brought it back. If that was true then I was stone cold dead. Why, oh why didn't I kill my cell phone when I had the chance? I stared at the offensive lump of metal and plastic, tears seeping down my face and a different type of lump forming in my throat. Before my parents could find me in my shattered state, I stormed to my room and flung myself to the floor. The hard impact hurt; dulling the emotional pain. My head felt like it was spinning, my heart felt like it was being ripped out of my chest, and my face was wet with tears. It felt like my lungs were constricting, breaths coming in laboured pants. Analyzing the drastic difference between my reactions so far, I knew I wouldn't make it, psychologically, if Quil were to leave me too.

I didn't know how long I spent on the floor just staring blankly up at the ceiling. Minutes and hours blended into each other. A freak storm could have obliterated the whole of USA and I wouldn't have batted an eyelash. I felt completely numb. As time ticked away other feelings came stampeding forwards; self-pity, anger and disgust. Disgust over the way I was handling the situation; crying like a foolish child instead of actually sucking up the nerve to confront people. To ask what the heck was going on. It was what I should be doing. I got up from my uncomfortable position on the floor, and wiped away the black mascara streaks under my eyes. It would have been a cool look had it been Halloween. Determination lit my eyes up, making me look truly alive. Had this been an alternate universe or 500 years ago, I would have smeared on war paint. I stalked out the door, yelling goodbye to my parents. I walked the whole way to Jacob's instead of taking the car. I knew I might regret it later, but at the moment adrenaline was bubbling in my blood. This time I wasn't going to back down. Even if I felt like crying I decided I'd stand tall and demand answers. After all, I deserved them.

My mind was running double time whilst I was walking. How could Jake of all people run into Sam's embrace? He'd been the biggest protester of the whole cult thing all along. Had it merely been an act? Questions flew around my head like crazy, making me dizzy. Why did I always ask so many questions? I always asked questions. Maybe I was naturally inquisitive or something? My cell phone started to ring. I felt strongly for throwing it in dirt but I knew I'd regret it if I did. It was Embry. I held my breath and answered it. "Hey, it's Embry. I tried to call you at home but your mum told me you were out. Where are you going?" I smiled grimly. "I'm going to kick some ass and pluck some eyes."

Whistles came from the back of the house and I followed the sound. Sam, Jared, Embry and Paul stood by the edge of the forest. Jacob was nowhere in sight, but Bella was. She almost flew over to Sam and started yelling at them how it was their fault that Jake had left. I noticed that she only mentioned her and not his original bunch of friends. Suddenly Paul's body started to shake just like Embry's had many weeks ago. I think Bella hit him. Paul doubled over as in pain, and Sam started to yell at Bella run. I stared in shock at Paul. What the hell was going on? I started to walk over to them but Sam saw me. His eyes widened in shock and fear, but before he managed to open his mouth, Jake was running out of nowhere towards Paul. Paul gave one final tremble before he turned into a huge, grey wolf. Seconds later Jake turned into a russet coloured wolf and attacked Paul. All I could think about was the pieces of cloth falling from the air. I took a moment to react, but when my brain finally processed what had happened I screamed.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I had a bad case of writer's block, but I felt compelled to write at the same time. I'm not 100% happy with this chapter... I might go back and rewrite it later Anyways... please review. They make me happy and grin like an idiot. Almost like Quil ;)**

The grey wolf's head turned in my direction, but a second later he was snapping at the other wolf's, Jacob's, throat. Like a dream, the echo of my scream hung in the air and the world swirled around me. It was like a weird fantasy book come to life. A few years ago I might have squealed with delight if I'd known these kind of things existed, but now all I wanted was to erase it from my memory. There was no way my best friend could turn into a wolf. There was absolutely no way! It was too weird, even for me.

"This is just a dream. This is just a dream. This is jus-." I felt rather then saw Embry walk over to me. Jared and Bella were standing awkwardly in the background. Embry looked at me sadly and offered his hand. "Let us get you over to Emily's, patch you up and we'll explain everything... now that the wolf is out of the bag and everything." He smiled a small smile at his weak joke. "And I think Emily is baking blueberry muffins. You know you love blueberries." My hand reacted on its own, placing itself in his waiting one. Inside me I was having a battle of sorts. One half of my mind screamed to me to get away from him whilst I still could. He was dangerous! Besides, what would happen to Quil? Would I leave him too? The other half told me I'd finally get the answers I'd wanted for so long, and that Embry wouldn't hurt me. After all, he was my friend. Best friend. And I wouldn't ever leave Quil; I'd find a way to reunite the old gang. I tensed when I used the word old. As if it had happened many lifetimes ago. Embry stopped and gave me a curious look. I only shook my head and continued. I wasn't in the mood for spilling my guts.

I'd always felt at home in Emily and Sam's house. It was like a second home to me. Now I felt like an imposing stranger. Despite Emily's warm smiles, hugs and muffins I still felt awkward. I looked over at Bella who was standing by the sink and nibbling half-heartedly at a muffin. She looked as awkward as I felt, with one arm wrapped securely around her waist. Embry, Seth and Jared were stuffing themselves at the table in the middle of the kitchen, big smiles all around. Emily had to constantly remind them that soon the rest would be coming back and they would be very hungry. A minute later Jake and Paul came in through the door. They were smiling, teasing and ruffling each other's hair. Jake jabbed Paul in the stomach. I thought my heart stopped for a split second when I saw Paul smile. The smile lit up his entire face and was absolutely, undeniably, wonderfully beautiful. His gaze met mine and I could swear that everything else ceased to matter. Sam came in behind them, and Paul turned his back to me so he could greet him, and I felt sad that I could no longer see his smile. Sam smiled at everyone before his searching eyes found Emily. He walked over to her, his eyes full of nothing but pure love. He showered her scarred face with small kisses before he kissed her lips. From the corner of my eye I saw Embry pretend to throw up and I struggled to keep a serious face. Embry always knew how to lighten the mood even if already was good. Jared cleared his throat and everyone's attention focused on me and Bella. He was the opposite of Embry, I thought. He knew how to kill the mood. I felt Paul's gaze on me even more than the other's. I just knew it was his even though I couldn't see him. "Sooo... Sam you want the honours?" Jared asked. Sam nodded

I stared, stunned into silence, at the six massive bodies in front of me; werewolves... Apparently they were old Quileute legends come to life... again. And apparently there were vampires in this world too, but unlike Hollywood stereotype they could walk in the sun, could be seen in mirrors etc. My thoughts wandered over to the mysterious Cullens who the council, for no apparent reason - at the time - , didn't like. I dismissed my thoughts, but they were voiced a second later by Jared. "And if you're wondering who the filthy bloodsuckers are, I bet you've already guessed them." I saw Bella flinch but didn't comment. I'd already figured she was the "suffer in silence" type. Rumour was that she'd been dating the youngest son, and the whole family had just left town. Maybe that was why she was upset? Jared continued unfazed. "It's those Cullens. And Bella here," this time she flinched more noticeably. "Has inside secrets..." Jared trailed off after receiving a pretty nasty glare from Jacob.

The rest of the evening was spent at Emily's. Even though I hadn't completely forgiven Embry and Jacob yet for just running off, I tried to learn – and believe – everything they told me. Werewolves were supposedly super fast and super strong, they had to be to hunt vampires who were their only enemy, and they had heightened senses. Mumbling profanities under my breath would no longer be an option. Their hearing was just way too good, darn it. They could also change into wolf form anytime they wanted; it was the changing back that took practice... – animalistic anger was an issue – except for Jacob. According to Jared and Embry, Jake was a natural. He had the "wolf-gene" on both sides of the family tree unlike the others who only had it on one, which made everything much easier for him. A lot of the things they told and showed me freaked me out. But by judging the ways they were showing off, turning into wolves at random intervals to scare me, and eating copious amounts of food; it seemed completely natural to them. I was still having a hard time wrapping my head around Seth being a wolf though. As a human he was so... not wolf.

Another thing that didn't make sense was Sara. She was hanging around Seth all the time, almost like and invisible force drove her to him and him to her. Jared had a girlfriend, Kim, who acted the same. Like the world revolved around him and nothing else. Jared and Seth, both macho – looking – men/boys were both in lovey-dovey mode when the girl of their dreams was nearby. I came to the conclusion, by myself, that the loved up stuff was a wolf thing too. Not even my parents, who were pretty in love themselves, couldn't compare to the intensity the two week old couple had. And they'd been married for 32 years. I mean, I'm just saying...

Since Embry had scuttled off to kick vampire butt, and Jake had spent more time with Bella, Quil and I had been almost inseparable. I texted him now and again to keep me updated on the dirt bike he was building from scratch; I felt bad for not being with Quil today and having to lie. I wasn't allowed to tell anyone about this. If Quil was to find out it would have to be the hard way – turning into a wolf himself – or by accident.

I sat on the big couch in Emily and Sam's small living room. Embry and Jake were sitting next to me, one on each side. They were behaving like bodyguards, and it annoyed me. I didn't even know why. Maybe they were just happy with seeing me again? Jake kept switching channels every ten seconds, trying to find something decent to watch. My thoughts quickly wandered off; back to Seth and Sara, Jared and Kim, and Sam and Emily. I turned to Jake and asked him about it. He looked at me with a mixture of amusement, annoyance and protectiveness, and ate a handful of crisps. My mind screamed in a very Sra like way "What the hell, stupid jerk." I bet it was Jake's new motto.

I finally got fed up with Embry and Jake ignoring me every time I took it up. Wasn't it them that had earlier this day crammed my head full with ancient Quileute legends? Instead of acknowledging me, they focused harder on the television; sports, go figure. The only other guy around was Paul, and he was currently sipping on his coffee. Even though Embry had whispered to me that Paul had "seriously serious, big-time crazy, insane anger issues" I still felt a small tug inside me. Almost like my hypothesis; something drawing you closer to somebody. I stopped my train of thought. There was no way, absolutely no way, Paul could even remotely think of thinking me in that way. As a friend, maybe, but anything more was just some stupid fancy on my side. Besides, Embry, Jake and Quil – maybe one day – would rip him to shreds if he did... fancy me. I inched slowly closer to Paul. When he looked up my heart started to race. We stared at each other for a long time before he spoke in his deep, husky voice. "Anything you wanted?" Something glimmered in his eyes that I distinctly recognized, but couldn't put my finger on. I inhaled sharply and asked my question, the words leaping from my tongue. "What's-up-with-Sam-Seth-and-Jared-and-why," I drew a deep breath. "Is nobody telling me the...?" My words fell into silence. I stopped when all colour drained from Paul's face. The urge to hug and comfort him, to run my fingers through his hair flared up.

Paul looked like he was having an internal debate. His eyes would suddenly fill with fear and just as quickly change into the emotion I couldn't place, yet I knew I'd seen before. Finally he turned the conversation onto a more local station.

"Ever heard about soul mates?"


	8. AN :

**A/N:**

Sorry to disappoint anyone but this is only an author's note. Crap, I know -.-'

In the last couple of weeks I have struggled with a major case of writer's block. I stare at the computer screen for ages and... Nothing... Not even during the winter holiday! To top it off, exams are right around the river bend. I'm not sure when I'll get the next chapter down on paper or laptop but I'll sneak writing into my homework time to get it done. I'll just have to hope that the inspirational force is we me ;)

I tinwe ^^


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N: This came out much quicker then I would have thought! I'm stoked I managed to write anything at all. In other words: enjoy ;D**

I nodded slowly, not knowing where he was going with this. Soul mates... "That's the same as true love, isn't it? That he or she is the other half of your soul. So are Sam and Emily, Seth and Sara, and Jared and Kim all imprint couples?" "Yeah," He said and looked over my shoulder. I turned too and saw Jake staring at us. I turned back to Paul and smiled, and then went back to the television. As I passed Jake I hit him on the back of his head; stupid idiot. Minutes later I got an urgent phone call from my parents. I if I could I should get home. They had something to tell me.

Paul offered to drive me home the moment I got off the phone; superior wolf hearing at its best. I said yes, and thank you. I ran out of the house at full speed and almost crashed into Jared. Paul was right behind me and we were on the road in no time. My heart was racing. Paul was relaxed and coaxed me into a conversation. He talked about everything, even the weather. I felt myself relax slowly, his easy going nature helped a lot. I asked him about his bad-boy image and he laughed loudly.  
"Nah... That's just a gimmick. You know, to scare the new ones, get some respect. It's also great for getting me out of babysitting jobs." I laughed too, enjoying myself. Paul looked over to me and smiled warmly. My legs turned to jelly. "You freak out a lot. Did you know that? So your parents called... big deal. Maybe they're adopting some kid from Africa." He was right about me freaking out. I did do that a lot. However, the adopting thing... No way. All too soon for my liking - which I found rather surprising - we reached my house. Paul looked like he was struggling for words and settled for a cocky grin instead. "Good luck in there. Be prepared to share your room." I laughed again and punched his arm, and got out of the car. I watched him drive away and found myself missing him. He seemed so different around me then with the others; happier yet more careful. Shaking my head at my wandering thoughts I went inside.

My parents were sitting at the kitchen table with the phone between them. My good mood disappeared quickly. I grabbed the remaining chair and sat down. The room was quiet. "What's the matter?" I asked. Dad cleared his throat. He seemed upset. "It's my dad, Ted, your grandfather." He spoke like I didn't know him. Of course I knew Grandpa Ted. He smoked like crazy. "Phoebe... We don't know if it's spread or not but he has cancer; lung cancer to be exact. He found out last week." Mum took dad's hands in hers. "It'll be ok, hun." She said and stroked his cheek. Shocked into silence I stared at their entwined hands. Sadness flooded me and the emotional onslaught gave me a headache. Grandpa had cancer? I just couldn't make sense of it or connect those two words. I noticed my parents looking at me and all of a sudden I felt extremely tired."Dad... I..." I had problems formulating words not to mention coherent sentences. "Dad, I'm sorry." I paused for a moment. "How is he?" My mum answered because dad looked slightly out of it. "He's fine for the time being. It's just a big shock to us all. He was a rather healthy guy besides the smoking." The way she said smoking made it clear what she thought was the problem behind the cancer. "If it's ok I'll go and lie down. I'm feeling a little tired." I got up and went to my room, heading directly to my bed. Well under my thick blanket my mind started going ballistic as usual. I mulled over today's events. Not much but more than nothing. More than once Paul's smiling face popped up; his wonderful white smile. I sighed and rolled over onto my stomach.

Suddenly something sank in. Suddenly I felt wide awake and got out of bed. I walked around my room in circles, my mind going faster than ever. The weird tugging feeling I got when around Paul, the reason Embry and Jake were brotherly overprotective, and the way my heart sped up; I was Paul's imprint. Paul had imprinted on ME! The look that I couldn't place, yet seemed familiar was adoration; love. It hadn't clicked before because nobody had looked at me that way. My parents loved me but not in that way, thank God. My alarm clock rang and got me somewhat back to earth. It was eight pm, three hours to bedtime.

In my hurry to get out of the house I put on different colour shoes, – same type though – my hair was a disaster zone and that was putting it mildly. Luckily I had a vague idea where Paul lived from the small stops the guys had made there. It wasn't far so I didn't have to take the car which would have given me away anyway. I hoped my parents wouldn't check on me tonight or I would be pretty screwed. I wasn't in the mood for another round of house arrest. I jumped out the window – first floor – and ran for a while but in the end I had to stop for a breather. After all, I wasn't as in good shape as the boys. Come to think about it I probably never would be... how unfair.

I stood outside Paul's door waiting for my breath to catch up. Besides I wasn't sure if he was home or not. For all I knew he could be at Sam's or out patrolling the borders of the reservation. For extra luck I crossed my fingers before I rang the doorbell. I counted silently inside my head; 1, 2, 3, 4- The door was flung open and behind it stood Paul. His face lit up in one of his perfect smiles before he spoke. "Phoebe? What are you doing here? Not that I don't think it's great you are here, because this is a nice surprise. Do you want to come inside?" Paul seemed flustered and I couldn't help but smile. When he took my coat for me I grinned broadly. "No one ever told me you were a gentleman, Paul." Paul answered with one of his cocky grins. "I am a man of many talents; a jack of all trades, master of none." He ushered me to the living room and pointed to a sofa. He himself disappeared into, what I guessed was, the kitchen. "Except turning into a vampire killing wolf, I would think. You've got that one pretty much nailed down." I yelled too him through the door. Why on earth did he close the damn door? I heard cupboard doors being slammed.

Taking advantage of being left alone I took a look around. Paul's living room was clean and sparsely furnished. I guessed he didn't stay here much. I felt oddly at home and spread myself all over the couch. It was soft and smelt outdoors-y. Almost like Paul who, I thought, had a wonderful scent. Like fresh pine forests in the summer. I closed my eyes and started to drift off to sleep. A low humming sound stirred me awake again. Paul was humming! I opened my eyes and found myself staring into Paul's dark brown ones. "Are you alive there Phoebe?" He asked and smiled. In his hands he held a tray laden with snacks and drinks. "I wasn't sure what you liked or not so I took a bit of all." He put the tray on the table and sat down next to me. My legs turned to jelly again and my heart raced. As usual, I thought. "You're very tall" I said randomly. It was true. He was very tall. "Have you tried being a little shorter?" Paul laughed and the sofa shook. The water in the cup he held sloshed. I eyed it warily. Contained water and me didn't mix. It usually ended with me drenched in it.

We sat in silence for a while. I didn't know what he was thinking but I was struggling to find the right words to ask him my question. "Phoebe" I jumped at the sudden break of silence. "I want to tell you someth-" "Did you imprint on me?" I blurted out. I gasped and covered my mouth with my hands. That wasn't a good move and it wasn't on purpose either. Shit, shit, shit! Paul looked shocked and I didn't blame him. I couldn't bring myself to think about what he would say or what would happen if my guess was wrong. However Paul never ceased to amaze me.


	10. Chapter 9

**A/N: Looong time, no update. I'm in the middle of my "exams", sorta'. I only have left so soon I'll be able to write without fear of flunking anything. I hope you'll like this chapter and maybe you'll leave a little review behind ^^ Free muffins. Emily baked them ;D**

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One minute Paul was staring at me as if I were an alien from outer space, the next he was laughing. He sounded relieved. I visibly relaxed when I realised he wasn't going to throttle me. "Dang! And here I was thinking that I was mister smooth. How did you figure it out?" For a minute I couldn't speak. He'd imprinted on me and I felt so happy I could burst! "I guessed mostly but I also followed my feelings. They-." This time it was Paul who interrupted me. "Your feelings? What did they tell you?" "They told me... there was something special about you, and not in the wolfy sense. I can't really explain it. I suck at explaining things and especially myself." Paul smiled broadly, his eyes full of goodhearted laughter. "Why don't you give it a try?" He leaned in closer, close enough so that if I wanted to I could kiss him, and my heart accelerated. I knew how to make him understand. I took his huge, warm hand in mine and placed it over my heart. "Something like this. This is what my feelings told me."

My breathing hitched when Paul leaned in close. Our noses touched and I couldn't hear much besides my heart's frantic beating, and Paul and mine's irregular breathing. I distinctly heard him murmur something about me being his imprint but the most of my focus was on how close he was. His lips were suddenly on mine and everything around us disappeared. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the wonderful moment. Paul was my world and mine only. The kiss was soft and tender, and I melted into it. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself in his arms staring out of a huge window. Outside the moon was full, huge and glowing a beautiful white. I didn't know how long we sat there; I only knew that this was a moment I wasn't going to forget.

***

The next morning I woke up to a feeling of pure joy even though I was insanely tired. I'd gotten home around four in the morning and fallen asleep almost instantly. The clothes I'd slept in where still damp from last night's rain – I'd managed to forget my coat at Paul's – yet my mood was at its best. I danced around the room with an idiotic smile on my face and didn't feel the slightest bit silly. I waltzed out into the kitchen to a pair of bemused parents. My dad laughed at me and my mother shook her head. Everything was perfect. I grabbed a muffin before I swirled back into my room to get ready for a day with Quil. I hadn't been with him for a while and was looking forward to it. I was in a good mood and nothing could go wrong. Nothing at all.

Quil met me with a huge smile. "What are you so happy about today?" I smiled back. "How could you tell I was happy?" I knew it was a stupid question but what the heck. Quil pretended to think hard. "Firstly it could be because of great big smile, or it could be that you're walking on your tip toes. After years of careful study I have observed that you always walk on your tippy toes when you're happy." I doubled over laughing. What was I? A science experiment? The rest of day was spent goofing about and making fun of each other, but when the sun was setting I had an irresistible urge to call Paul. I excused myself to the bathroom where I could talk in private. However Paul didn't answer. My mood dulled a bit. I really wanted to talk to him; to hear his voice. If I couldn't get a hold of Paul myself, I'd get Sam to do it. I called him and he answered on the first ring. ""Phoebe? What is it?" "Eh... Do you know where Paul is?" In the background I could hear someone groan. It had to be one of the guys because they were the only ones who could have heard me. "Paul is with Jacob. Bella left to Italy a two days ago to go save her precious Edward." I felt an unexpected rush of anger towards Sam. If Paul had been in trouble I wouldn't have hesitated to rush to his rescue. I also knew that Sam would do the same if Emily had been in trouble, so who was he to speak? "Is Paul close by?" "He's at Jake's if you want to speak to him. Listen, Phoebe, I have to go now. Patrol you know." We said goodbye and I hung up. Quil was probably wondering where I was or what was wrong with me. I didn't usually spend a good deal of time in bathrooms.

I jogged back to Quil's bedroom where we had been watching some random movie, and screamed when I opened the door. Quil was on the floor in obvious agony. He thrashed around, yelling, and I stood there stunned. What was I supposed to do? I had to do something. What would Sam do?

A light bulb turned on. Sam! I dialled his number as fast as I could and prayed to every deity close by that he hadn't gone patrolling yet. I jumped up and down impatiently, wanting Sam to pick up the phone pronto. After half a minute of anxious waiting and soothing words to Quil, Sam answered. He seemed very annoyed. "Phoebe! What is it now?" "It's-Quil-he's-hurting-really-bad-and-I," I drew a deep breath and continued. "Have-no-idea-what-to-do-and-he-looks-scared-and-I'm-scared-and-." "PHOEBE! You're not helping Quil this way. Where are you? Calm down Phoebe. Everything will be ok. Trust me."

***

I closed the door silently as I tip-toed out of the spare room in Sam and Emily's house. Sam, Jared and Embry had arrived in a matter of minutes, and had taken Quil here because it would be easier to keep an eye on him. I went inside onto the porch and was happy to find a mild breeze. It erased some of my stress which was fantastic. Even more so was when Paul came back from patrolling and found me. He put his arms around my waist and looked at up the sky with me. It felt normal; as if we'd been doing it for months or years.

I huddled closer to Paul when Quil's cries of pain echoed through the wall. "How long is he going to be like this?" I asked. I felt Paul tense, as if he knew I wouldn't like the answer. "A week give or take." I closed my eyes in silent horror and felt sorry for Quil, but I reminded myself that now, at least, he could be with his friends again. That had to count for something, right?

The night was quiet except for the occasional car driving by and the small rustles coming from nocturnal animals. I tilted my head backwards trying to see into Paul's eyes. Instead I banged my forehead into his chin. He chuckled and kissed me where I'd hit him. I felt peaceful in Paul's arms; calm. Unfortunately a grumpy Jake came lumbering out of the woods. "Break out the confetti," he said in a somewhat sarcastic tone. "The Cullens are back." Calm and quiet when out the window in an instant; everyone freaked out. Paul tightened his grip as if he could protect me. Sam, Jared, Seth and Embry filed out onto the porch, and took up all the space. Somehow they were still growing!

Everyone talked at the same time and it took Sam several minutes to get us to shut up. The Cullens were back! How could we not flip out? Jack was put in the centre of the haphazard circle and asked to share the story.

Charlie had called Billy as soon as precious Bella had come home from Italy (only he didn't know she'd been to Italy), and Jake with his supersensitive hearing had overheard. He'd asked if he could speak to Bella, but instead he got Edward. Edward had told Jake that Bella was fine, and he told Jake how grateful he was because he'd taken care of his girl. Edward had also mentioned they were coming back to Forks. This time for good. To say the people on the reservation would be disappointed was an understatement. It also meant that more werewolves were to be expected.

The chaos that erupted after Jake had finished telling his story made my head ache, so I went inside. I opened the door to where Quil was, slowly. Emily sat by his side and held his hand. Poor Quil looked pale and tired. Even though he had finally fallen asleep he still looked exhausted. I mentally thanked my parents for not having any wolfy genes. I'd checked my family tree.

***

I was in a good mood today and it showed. I skipped around the room waiting for Quil to get dressed. His week was up and today he was joining the world of the living. My sources told me that Quil was eager to turn wolf. He thought it was super cool. I'd figured that out on my own before Jake told me; Quil had always been a fan of superheroes and such, especially Superman. Finally the door was flung open and out came a dishevelled and muscular Quil. His smile was as big as ever and he hugged everyone in sight. It was good to see that he was fine. He turned just in time too. The mysterious and terrible murders in Seattle were increasing fast and Sam had his theories. Unfortunately Edward called later that day and confirmed them.


	11. Chapter 10

**A/N: Long time, no see. I've been stuck in the worst writer's block I've ever had. Even summer holidays didn't help. Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter and leave a little review behind. Anything I need to improve, something you liked, something you hated? :)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing recognizable as Stephenie Meyer's work (but I wish I did, as do many others).**

Everyone was in uproar; panic almost. The killings in Seattle were caused by none other than a bloodthirsty vampire army. According to the Cullens, they had killed a bloodsucker a year or two back and now his mate wanted Bella Swan's blood in revenge. Eye for an eye and all that jazz. This mate just also happened to be the vampire chick that had been running around the borders a lot lately. I wondered frequently how she had the time to create a whole bloody army and annoy us at the same time. Us. I used that instead of "me" more and more these days. I also used the term bloodsucker more than vampire. I counted myself as one the wolves even though I was obviously not one. I actually didn't do much. I couldn't make food which was their biggest need, and Sam made all the decisions. I guess I was some kind of moral boost person. God knows someone had to keep the peace with all the tempers running high these days. Everyone was pissed because they hadn't got the red-haired bloodsucker, whose name was Victoria, ages ago.

With a small sigh I watched dejectedly as Seth and Embry came in to "headquarters", Emily's house, looking worse for wear. Sam had everyone working twice as hard and it was beginning to show. Not only were their school grades dismal, but they were getting thinner and they looked as if they might pass out any minute. I'd lost count of the amount of red bull the guy's were drinking. My mind was mostly preoccupied with my longing for Paul. I missed him so much my heart ached, but I understood that protecting Forks was more important. If only Jake too could concentrate more about Forks than Bella. He was worried sick about her night and day. As if the Cullens weren't too. Bella's boyfriend Edward had to reassure Jake daily that she was ok, but half the time it sounded like he was reassuring himself. Not a good sign to be honest.

Half an hour later Seth and Embry were out the door replaced by Paul and Quil. I was on my feet and in Paul's arms before you could say pancake. I buried my face in his t-shirt and inhaled his wonderfully fresh, pine-forest sent. Oh how I'd missed it. I hugged him for a while before I tipped my head upwards and placed a gentle kiss upon his lips.  
"You look tired," I murmured, eyeing the dark circles under his eyes.  
"I am tired," he answered. He sat down on a chair and I took the liberty to kiss his forehead. In fact I kissed his forehead several times. I so rarely reached it because he was insanely tall, so I made the most out of it. He chuckled lightly before he stifled a huge yawn. Emily huffed. She was obviously annoyed about their lack of sleep.  
"Bed," she said and pointed to the spare bedroom. Since Quil had already fallen asleep on the couch, Paul took my hand and led me through the door. I lay down in the bed and Paul draped his arm around me. I turned so that I faced Paul. His eyes were closed and he looked peaceful. I smiled and kissed the tip of his nose. After that I settled myself to tracing patterns on his arm. When Paul's quiet snores filled the room I rested my head upon his chest, and contented myself to listen to his heartbeat.

When I opened my eyes I was slightly disorientated. It took me a while to realize I'd fallen asleep. I sat up in bed and yawned. Something else was different too; the kitchen sounded busy. It hadn't been for nearly two weeks and the noise was slightly overwhelming. I strained my ears to try and catch what they were all talking about. The voices sounded happy. I deduced it safe to venture out so I slid silently out the door. The kitchen/living room was crowded. Everyone was here. Sam caught my eye and waved me over.  
"Now as I was saying, we meet them at three am and we'll be on our best behaviour." At these words his eyes fixated on Jake and Paul. Both of them were smiling innocently but their eyes were alight with excitement. I had just missed a crucial part of information.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold it for a second would you." I held up a finger to silence people. It actually worked.  
"I have a few questions. Who, where and why are we meeting, and why is good behaviour needed?" I half-guessed the answer before it was said.  
"We are meeting the Cullens in a field not far from here to coordinate and get information about the vampire army attack," Sam said patiently. Say what?  
"Huh?"  
"Phoebe, pay more attention. We're finally going to kick some bloodsucker ass. We're going to help the Cullens get this "army" because they're also a threat to Forks." Jared said. From the corner I distinctly heard Jake mutter that it was "also to save Bella."

Reality turned itself upside down once again. I'd finally gotten used to the wolf thing, and now they were going to war. Against super fast, super strong, super unstable and bloodthirsty vampires! Seth might not look it but he wasn't even 16 yet! I tried desperately to find the right words to stop them but deep down I knew that wasn't an option. The idiots were going to fight no matter what. Well so be it.  
"If you're all going to fight, then I'm coming to this meeting." I gave everyone a look that dared them say no. After all it was only fair. I needed to be up to date and I was sick of hearing everything second-hand. Sam pondered it for a while before he nodded. Paul looked outraged.  
"Are you kidding me, Sam? There is no way; absolutely no way she's going." Here he rounded on me. "Phoebe, I won't let you. You might get hurt." The last part he said in such a sad voice that I nearly gave in. "If I have to tie you to a chair to stop you going, then darn it, I will." Now it was my turn to get cross.  
"Don't you dare stop me Paul Danvers," I growled. "You lot," I pointed at everyone but Emily, "are going to fight a bunch of maniac bloodsuckers and you say I'm in danger? It's only a stupid meeting. Besides if they attacked me, you guys could defend or revenge me there and then." Paul opened his mouth to argue but Sam silenced him with a stern glare.  
"Phoebe is coming. End of discussion. Any personal problems between you two can be settled later, but for now let's get our asses out of here. We're running late."

The journey to the place of meeting was scary yet great fun. Since I couldn't run as fast as the guys in wolf form, which was the form they would present themselves in as they still didn't trust the Cullens, I was placed upon Paul's back. It was almost like riding a horse bareback but faster and bumpier. It seemed like Paul forgot that I was tagging along because he ran straight through massive, thorny bushes and such. My hair whipped around my head and tangled itself, and my cheeks were scraped by the time we arrived. I didn't give it much thought though.

The pack stopped in the shadow of the trees. Someone, a human, or in this case a vampire, was talking but I couldn't hear a thing. I slid with great difficulty off Paul, and stepped onto the big field. It was enormous and at the other side was the Cullens and Bella. Bella waved shyly but her eyes raked the trees eagerly. Eager to meet Jake. I wavered a bit, uncertain, but plucked the courage to walk over and introduce myself. One of the guys, probably Paul, growled and someone else whined. The field seemed bigger now that I was crossing it then when I'd stood safe at the edge. It almost seemed like I was walking on the spot, but soon enough I was on the other side. With a shy wave of my own I introduced myself. He who I presumed to be Dr. Cullen, super doctor at Forks' hospital, came forward and shook my hand. It was as hard as marble and ice cold. I took a good look at the young man - vampire I corrected myself - in front of me. According to his co-workers Dr. Cullen was 33. He looked ten years younger. He looked human. Except the golden eyes, super pale skin and a face so pretty it almost made me want to cry. I felt extra self-conscious now that I remembered my scraped cheeks and my messed up hair. I heard someone snicker to my left and my head abruptly snapped towards the noise. It was only Edward. I felt my heart settle down. For a second I'd thought it might be Paul, but I now realised that that was impossible. Not only because he was on the other side of the field but also that Paul's voice was darker, huskier; mine. Edward snickered again; almost as if he could read my mind. I turned my head slowly to face Edward and saw that he was grinning widely.

**Dum, dum, dum. What is going on? x)**


	12. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I own nothing recognizable as Stephenie Meyer's work (but I wish I did, as do many others).**

Edward's smile didn't exactly seem out of place; it just seemed a bit off that he was grinning at _me_. I hadn't said anything besides my name. Maybe he thought I looked funny. I scratched that idea. If I looked weird the others would have been smirking too. With that thought Edward's grin widened. With a small smile himself, Dr. Cullen proceeded to introduce me to the rest of the Cullens.  
"You can call me Carlisle and this," he put his arm around a beautiful woman with caramel coloured hair "is my wife Esme." Esme smiled sweetly and shook my hand. Her hand too was ice cold. I almost shivered. I was so used to the pack's warmth that even a "normal" human seemed cold to me. Next, Carlisle motioned to two men who were tossing a ball between them. One was tall, not as tall as Paul and the others though, with short brown hair. He was smiling but his eyes were serious; intent.  
"I'm Jasper," he said with a small nod of his head. He had a slight southern accent but I couldn't place it. The other guy looked me up and down, and chuckled. Maybe I did look funny after all.  
"I'm Emmet," he said, grinning. He shook my hand vigorously, shaking the rest of me in the process. He laughed loudly at my startled expression. Emmet, I decided, was someone I could like. His carefree attitude was one that was bound to rub off.

After the guys I was introduced to two women. They were complete opposites of each other yet they were very alike what with their vampire characteristics. Both were beautiful, but the tall blonde was absolutely breathtaking. I found myself staring like an idiot and blushed. She was so good-looking it should be illegal. My self-esteem sunk below zero. Her attitude though was anything but attractive. She gave me a quick look over, so fast I almost missed it, nodded and walked over to Emmet. Carlisle gave me an apologetic smile.  
"Her name is Rosalie." Even her name was beautiful, I thought with a sigh. The other woman was striking too, but she was tiny, very thin and had short, black hair. She gave me a big hug before she smiled brightly.  
"I'm Alice. We're going to be great friends. And, be careful around stairs in the near future." The last was added as an afterthought. I found it very weird.

Last, but not least, was Edward. I already knew who he was but I shook his hand too. His smirk was still in place. I bit my lip to stop myself from asking why he was looking at me like I was the butt of some joke.  
"One could consider you the butt of some joke," he said mockingly. I froze. He really did just read my mind. Did that mean, since Alice had warned me to be careful with stairs 'in the near future', that she could see the future? My mind went spinning again. Too much to think about alert. There was no way that was possible. Or was it? I mean, I was standing in front of vampires and my boyfriend could turn into an oversized wolf. Maybe it wasn't that bizarre after all.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts; this was not time to think about crazy stuff. I started to cross the field again when Carlisle said I was welcome to stay. From the forest came a loud snarl.  
"Paul," I grumbled. In a fit of stubbornness I sat down on the grass. Paul growled again. Emmet laughed and Edward grinned.  
"If you're not careful he might come get you," Edward said with a small laugh. That did sound like Paul but nonetheless I stayed put. From here I would see better than stuck behind trees.

Carlisle walked out a little from his family and welcomed the pack. Edward spoke Sam's thoughts out loud, because barking was slightly hard to understand. A little moment later Jasper walked out onto the field. He stopped next to Carlisle.  
"My son Jasper has experience in this area. He will teach us what we need to know, how to stop them." Sam asked if they were different from the Cullens. I too wondered about this. I mean, weren't they all vampires?  
"They are newer to this life. One could call them children. They will not have any form of tactics, only raw strength. Tonight there are twenty of them but they keep fighting amongst themselves, so that may change," Carlisle said. Edward translated Sam's thoughts again, and I thought it was a bit eerie. The pack was excited and was willing to take on more than their share. Of course they wanted too.  
"Idiots," I mumbled under my breath.  
"Do you know when they will arrive?" Edward said.  
"They'll arrive late morning in four days. They'll come across the mountains."  
I was probably only imagining things, but I thought he said it in a way that said "we're doomed." Then again, I did have a flair for the dramatic and was constantly paranoid.

The Cullen's training session was spectacular to watch. I gasped, gawked and even squeaked. The vampires were so fast! When Jasper asked Alice to come up I grabbed Bella's hand. Tiny Alice take on scary Jasper. No way! Bella and I exchanged panicked expressions and we held on a little tighter. Alice on the other hand, grinned. She stalked up to Jasper, kissed him on the cheek and bent into a fighting stance. Jasper tried to attack her but missed. Over and over again he missed. The match ended with Alice sitting on his back and laughing. I exhaled slowly; thrilled Alice could take care of herself.  
After a while the initial shock and amazement wore off, and I was suddenly exhausted. I stifled a huge yawn and aimed towards the forest. Maybe I could sleep on Paul's back? Unfortunately I only managed to get halfway before I suddenly blacked out.

When I woke up I found myself in my own bed with only a sketchy description of what happened. I was slightly pissed I hardly remembered anything and I was upset with the fact that it seemed like I fainted a lot. The guys were going to make fun of me forever for it. I got out of bed, put on a pair of sweats and a tee, and made my way down to the kitchen. A welcome but highly unusual sight met me there. Paul sat in a chair with a cup of coffee in his hand and the morning paper in front of him. He looked relaxed and I thought that this was where he belonged. I smiled to myself and hugged him from behind.  
"Good morning gorgeous," he murmured.  
"Good morning yourself," I whispered in his ear. "What are you doing here?"  
"Well, after I carried you home yesterday, by the way you reeked of vampire and you still do, your parents held me hostage thinking I'd hurt you. I explained that you fell asleep at the "party", and I that I might as well return you. They believed me and then asked if I wanted to stay the night since it was so late. I woke up an hour ago, your parents were at work and I thought I might as well enjoy a cup of coffee whilst I wait for you. Happy?"  
"Extremely," I said.  
Paul turned his head, kissed my cheek and maneuvered me onto his lap.  
"Anything I can get you for breakfast. I'm warning you now though, I'm a bad cook."  
He chuckled and took a sip of his coffee, making a face as he swallowed it. I laughed at his expression.  
"It was cold," he growled as he tickled my sides. I laughed harder and somehow managed to fall off the chair.

The morning went by slowly but it was absolutely perfect. I got to spend it with Paul. Uninterrupted. However evening approached and another fight club was nearing. Even though I knew I'd be dead on my feet the following morning, I decided to tag along. Paul gave me a withering look as he passed me on his way into the forest to faze. I sat down by Bella's side again but dozed off quickly. It was extremely late when I woke up, and the session was nearing an end. I was startled to see Jacob as Jacob, and talking to Edward. I thought they hated each other? I slowly got to my feet and stumbled tiredly over to Jake. He saw me coming and caught me as I tripped.  
"Are you tired, seriously? You've slept through the whole thing."  
"Yeah, yeah. Just tell me what I missed."  
"Nope. Snooze you lose."  
I swatted him lazily on the arm and both Edward and Jake smiled at my half-hearted attempt.  
"Has Alice's visions, premonitions or whatever changed?"  
"Nope. Nothing has changed on their part. We however have an ace up our sleeve. We're going to use Bella's scent to make the bad-vamps go crazy."  
I looked up at Jake.  
"And you're sure this will work?"  
"Positive."


End file.
